Maybe, this time around
by runningformiles
Summary: Set after 2x07, Victoria and Conrad reconnect, but will she be able to wreck the barrier she created against him in her heart? This is the story of how she tries.
1. The forehead kiss

**Set after 2x07, Victoria and Conrad reconnect, but will she be able to wreck the barrier she created against him in her heart? This is the story of how she tries.**

It had been a hell of a day. Victoria and Conrad almost died. It was interesting to notice how people can act different when your lives and the life of someone you love is threatened. How Conrad held her hand and said he was sorry, how he justified his actions with his love for her. He confessed, without regret, he had killed for her. Of course that's screwed up, she thaught. Afterall he killed the man she loved.

All these toughts rushed through her brain as she sat on her bed drinking whiskey, trying to calm herself. The strange thing was that, in that moment, all she felt towards Conrad was gratitude. Gratitude, because he held her hand. Because he said he was sorry. Because he actually cared about the fact that she was going to always thought people would celebrate her passing.

Conrad didn't see her that way. He loved her and still cared. All her true colors were known by him and he was still there. Maybe it was because they were so alike, he didn't mind her faults. Doesn't everyone have a bad side and does terrible things once in a while? Victoria still hated him for killing David, but maybe also never stopped loving him. There were definitely unresolved feelings towards him, she never delt with. That night, the wall she had built to push him away wasn't strong. He got to her.

Even if she would probably end up putting the wall up again, right there, she didn't care. It was probably the alcohol's fault, she thought.

Unexpectedly, he came into her room, walked in her direction and, genlty, kissed her forehead. She didn't know how to react. For a few seconds, all she did was stand still. She had long forgotten what Conrad's touch felt like. After so much time despising any kind of affection from his part, she never expected to enjoy the warmth of his breath against her skin, but she did. Without thinking, she reached out and held his hand as he was turning around. In her head, she justified herself saying she was just seeking his attention, because she didn't want to feel alone anymore, but was that the truth? What if this was her trying to reconnect with Conrad? Victoria didn't want to consider that.

-C...Can you...Stay? - The last word came out in a whisper as their eyes met. He stood speechless, looking at his wife. All he saw was fragility. That made him feel an urge to protect her. Victoria always had this effect on him. No matter how strong, she could seem at times. Conrad smiled.

-Do you really want me to?-He asked, in disbelief.

-Yes.-the words fell out of her mouth faster than expected.

-Of course I can. - He whispered, lowering his head and kissing her hand. Sitting beside her, he carressed her cheeks. The way she closed her eyes, feeling his touch made his heart calmer. For the first time that day, he could breathe.

-Are you ok? - Even though it was obvious none of them were, he asked just wanting her to open up. Victoria shook her head, meaning she was not.

-No...-tears fell down her cheeks. She buried her head on his shoulder, crying. He held her tight.

-We are fine now...Still alive and kicking.-He joked. That made her smile. Their eyes met and he pulled her face to his and stopped, afraid she wouldn't want him. Her lips met his and they let them touch softly. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him again, but, suddenly parted. Conrad kissed her again and she opened her mouth letting his tongue in.

The more they kissed, the more Victoria wanted him. She knew if she hadn't drank, none of this would be happening. _"I shouldn't continue..."_ She thought, as Conrad slid his hands up her leg, going under her nightdress. _"But why does it feel so right?"_

All Conrad wanted was to make her feel safe. When she helped take his suit off and throwing it on the floor, he barely took his mouth away from hers. Her hands were all over his naked chest, when he pulled her nightgown out. As she pulled him on top of her, he stretched his arms and turned off the lights. She was too eager to have him inside her to wait any longer. Their hips collided in perfect rhythm. Victoria felt all the tension leave her, while waves of pleasure went through her body.

A little bit of moonlight was coming in from the balcony outside and it allowed her to see his beautiful blue eyes. They smiled in the midst of soft moans.

He enjoyed the feeling of having his hair pulled by her hands when he thrusted in hard inside her. They accelerated their pace until the climax. Conrad tried to lay down by her side, but she held him tight, still on top of her. He wrapped his arms around her and sank his face in her neck, kissing it.

-Don't go yet...-Victoria whispered. The warmth of his body made her feel like everything was ok. As drunk as she could be, she had to admit it had been great.

Their bodies still matched perfectly and the chemistry was undeniable. For the first time, in years, Victoria didn't regret having Conrad as her husband. She wouldn't like to have spent that night with anybody else.

-I won't. I'm right here.

-Thank you...

A light breeze came in from the beach making, cooling off their heated bodies. The moment felt so good, it was almost as if nothing had ever changed between them.

She remembered why she started loving him in the first place. It was the way he demonstrated affection towards her. It always made her feel comforted. _"I think I still love you."_ He rolled to the side, but pulled her close to him, spooning her.

-Goodnight, Conrad.-That was all she was able to say at the time.

-Goodnight, my dear.

 _"Maybe, we can try again."_


	2. Morning after

Even before opening her eyes, when she woke up, Victoria smiled. The touch of strong arms around her made her feel safe and calm, in a way she hadn't in many years.

" _Conrad. Oh no. This shouldn't have happened."_

The memories from the previous night, rushed through her brain in a flash. Exalted, she rose from the bed, waking her husband.

-What's wrong? – He asked, with a sleepy voice.

-You need to go. –She said, not facing him, while grabbing his suit from the floor and throwing it on the bed.

-Why?

-This was a mistake. – her voice could cut like a knife. Conrad already expected her rejection, even the night before and was surprised she went through with the whole thing. It hurt anyway. After what he did to David Clarke, he never thought she would give him a second chance. In his mind it made perfect sense to justify himself with his jealousy, but this didn't matter to her. Maybe she was right. In fact, he got a man murdered, amongst other terrible things. He had caused her a lot of pain. He stood up and got dressed, ready to leave without an argument, but stopped, knowing, this could be the only opportunity he would ever have to try to win her back.

The night before hadn't been meaningless. They reconnected. He was sure of it and wasn't willing to let this go to waste. He would show her he was trying to be a better man.

-Victoria, you may think you regret it and say it was all a mistake, but you and I both know what we felt last night. –he walked up to her, standing close to her face.

-It was just sex, Conrad. –her words were cold. If he didn't know her, he would've believed them. Instead, he smiled, held her face in his hands, gently, and kissed her passionately. She didn't resist his attempt and that meant something.

-The thing is, Victoria, I just don't believe you. –turning around, Conrad left the room, with a big smile on his face. This would be his new strategy: no arguing, no fighting, just, simply, being caring and stating the truth until she admitted it to herself.

She stood still, speechless, holding his shirt on her hand, cheeks blushing and an angry mind. There was no time to reply what he said, but she couldn't find any words either. She expected him to fight back, to be angry or furious, anything but the reaction he just had. Her heart was beating fast and the palms of her hands were sweating.

There was no way she would acknowledge what she felt for him since the day before, when he defended her from Kara. She was certain that, if they ever got together again, he would act the same way he had all through their marriage: lying, cheating and scheming, because that's who he is and that would never be different.

Denial was the best path her consciousness found to keep her away from Conrad _. "I hate the man. He killed David. Last night was just a comfort I needed. I was just lonely. That's all."_

Nothing would change in the way she treated him. The distance she had always kept would remain the same and none of his advances would be successful. At some point, she expected, he would give up. If he didn't… Well, maybe she would have to hurt him.

There was a problem, though. Why was she replaying this kiss events over and over in her head?

 **I know this was short, but please let me know what you think. There is more on the way….**


	3. Heat

Heat

Still angry, Victoria decided to take a shower, also hoping to take long enough so, by the time she was done, she wouldn't have to join Conrad for breakfast downstairs. After turning on the water, all her muscles relaxed with the heat. The stress was finally leaving her brain.

" _What was I thinking? Sleeping with Conrad… The man who tried to blow up a fucking plane to stop me from turning him in to the authorities. A murderer. This will never happen again."_

Just as her hands were filled with shampoo, ready to go to her head, the water turned cold. Victoria tried to make it hot again, but failed. After washing the shampoo off, she wrapped a towel around her body and went to the corridor, in hope to find an employee to fix the problem. Ms. Johnson, one of the housekeepers was passing by the moment she opened her door.

-Excuse me, but the water in my bathroom is freezing, so can you, please, check what is going on for me?

-I'll see what I can do, ma'am. –the made went to see what was wrong. 2 minutes later she was back, with a smiley face.-Well, Ms. Grayson, the heater responsible for your bathroom is broken, but the good news is that your husband's isn't! So, you can shower in his suite!

 _-_ Amm…Thank you, Ms. Johnson.

" _Oh crap…Good thing he's downstairs. I'll just rush there and, hopefully, before he even returns I'll be gonez."_ With a wet hair and only the white towel to cover her naked body, Victoria hurried to Conrad's bathroom. The shower really was at a warmer temperature, but she wasted no time relaxing, wanting to leave as soon as she could. In her rush, to dry herself, she accidentally let the towel fall down over the wet floor, leaving it completely soaked.

" _Shit! There are no other towels here! How is this possible?"_ The only alternative she had was to run back to her room and hope nobody saw her. Before she could evaluate any other options, she heard the noise of the bedroom's door closing.

Conrad had finished eating and was ready for a shower, so he went to the closet to choose a suit to wear. Victoria opened the door just enough so she could see he was in the closet. Perfect, she could run out. Opening the door, she started going on the direction of the door.

-What the hell?-Conrad was staring at her. She stopped with her hand holding the doorknob. Cheeks blushing as she realized he could see her entire body, but that was not the only reason. He was naked too. –I wasn't expecting this surprise…

-Don't flatter yourself. My heater is broken so I had to come here for a hot shower. That's all.-she was trying hard not to look down at him, because she knew he'd probably be hard, but still, couldn't help but notice the veins popping out on his arms, because of his recent return to the gym. There was no denying she was turned on. He knew that. Conrad always knew when Victoria wanted to have sex. There was a characteristic spark in her eyes that always gave it away.

-I see…-walking in her direction, there was a nasty smile on his face. He stood close enough so she couldn't walk out the door.-Well, you are free to go now, so why are you still here?

Her eyes just met his, without saying a word, she knew exactly what she wanted, but had no courage to get it.

-Truth is you don't want to leave. You want me. You want me to take you right here, right now. The sweat dripped on her back and she was sure he could see it all over her chest.

-I already told you I'm not interested.

-That's not what it looks like. If you really don't want me, you'll just tell me to stop.-leaning in, his lips touched her neck and he started sucking it hard. Tilting her head back, Victoria opened her mouth, trying to talk back, but the only sound that came out was a moan.-Tell me to stop.–his hands pulled her hair and his body presses hers against the cold wall.- You can't, can you?

-Conrad…-in one strong move, she pulled his head back by the hair, making him face her. She was fully aware he enjoyed this and yet she did it. –Stop.-His big smile showed how much he knew she didn't mean it. One thing she always loved was Conrad's smile. His teeth were so white and he looked so handsome. Maybe sex with him wasn't such a bad idea after all. _"Just this one time…"_ she thought, as they kissed intensely _._

His member hardened between her legs, which she spread, desiring him inside. Lifting her up, he made her wrap them around him and sat on the bed. Rocking inside her, she wanted to scream, but kept her lips were contained, not to give him the satisfaction of knowing how good it felt. Pushing his chest against the mattress, she moved her hips faster, feeling an orgasm build up inside.

-Still want me to stop? – He said, holding her wrists behind her back. Victoria still used all the strength she had not to say anything, but when his fingers started to tease her clit, she couldn't hold it anymore. In a breath, she let out a loud moan.

-Don't…Stop! Just don't stop!-Screaming, she climaxed, followed by Conrad Collapsing over him, she buried her face in his chest, until their breathing calmed. His arms held her tight.

" _Now what?"_

Without knowing what to do, they both laid there, without speaking to each other. Internally, she was trying to avoid the accusatory tone of her conscience telling her how dangerous this was. Closing her eyes, she let out a smile when he caressed her back.

-Vic?

-Don't say anything…Please…

-But…

-Please…Let's not ruin it. – When they kissed, Victoria realized he was still inside her, but didn't want to leave yet, so started moving up and down on a constant pace. Suddenly, Conrad stopped and held her face in his palms.

-Really?

-Aham…-Barely giving him time to say anything else, her hips moved faster and faster.

-Oh, Victoria…

This time, it felt passionate. Their lips barely separated and they didn't break eye contact.

His hands on her breasts were driving her crazy and her nails scratched his back, leaving marks.

They came almost in the same moment, while their bodies silence remained as they hugged.

-I…I need to go now.

-Victoria… We don't need to go through this again. Just stay…I'm begging.-he started caressing her hair, in an attempt to convince not to go.

-Beg all you want, but I'm out.-getting up, she headed towards the door.

-That wasn't necessary.-sitting on the bed, Conrad frowned his brows at her. –You just act like this to push me away, but guess what? I'm not going anywhere, Victoria. And I'm pretty sure this wasn't meaningless to you.

-Don't be delusional, Conrad. I don't give a damn about your feelings.-As much as he wanted to remain with the strategy of not fighting, it was getting harder and harder not to respond.

-You are so full of shit. I don't believe a word you are saying. All you are trying to do here is convince yourself you don't love me back, but…

-Love?-she laughed- Who said anything about love? You really are completely mad if you think I will ever love you again. You don't deserve me. The things you did to me in the past…

-Oh, so now I'm the only one who made mistakes? You didn't cheat on me with David Clarke? You didn't fall for someone else?

-You are the one who committed murder, Conrad!

\- I never intended to hurt you! I am sorry and if I could go back, I would!

-No! You wouldn't! Don't lie and say you regret it, because I know you don't! All you wanted was too have me all to yourself! Now, guess what? You will never have me. Ever.-tears rolled down her red face as she pointed her finger at him. - Because, even if I feel something for you, I'll do everything I can to get rid of it.

That one felt worse than a slap in the face, but Conrad Grayson wasn't a man who gave up easily.

-So, you admit that you do feel things for me? –Immediately he regretted saying anything at all. He realized that pressuring her wouldn't lead to anything.

-If this is all you got from everything I said, you can go fuck yourself.-slamming the door, Victoria left.


	4. Options

"I just can't stand him! I can't! Selfish little man!" Victoria, exasperated, rushed back to her room to change, pissed off, because the shower had been useless since her body was covered in sweat. Breathless, she decided to leave the Manor and concentrate on other matters, such as working on breaking up Charlotte and Declan.

Grabbing her car, she went straight to the Stowaway, where she hoped to find Declan. Aware of the surprise in everyone's faces to see her at the bar, she made her way to the second floor, only to find his brother, Jack Porter.

-Hello, Mr. Porter.

-Jack, please. Make yourself at home…-the, obviously, sarcastic tone in his voice made her smile, as she, uninvited, came into his room.

-Jack, I was hoping to find your brother here. When will he be back?

-Look, if this is about your attempt to blackmail him to make him end things with Charlotte, you can forget it. This isn't how we handle things. – The way he looked at her made her feel uneasy. She knew well Jack wasn't very fond of her, but never expected such hostility.

-Well, this is for Declan to decide. Besides, imagine the kind of life he could have with this kind of money. A better education, perhaps, and even…-she paused, looking around. – a better home.- He knew she was right that the money could be good for his little brother's future, but it didn't matter. He shouldn't take it. Also, she was still being incredibly offensive and rude. He took a step closer, staring in her brown eyes.

-Look, Ms. Grayson…

-Victoria, please. – her mouth opened in a wide smile. His eyebrows frowned. His intense angry stare made her lose the enlightening expression.

-Victoria… I do not know what the hell you have against your daughter's happiness, because, yes, she is very happy with Declan. Only you refuse to accept that. Anyway, I don't know and don't care about it, but I, strongly, advise you to stop minding everyone else's business and go mind your own.

How did he dare talk to her like that, she thought. Challenged, she took a step closer, giving back an infuriated stare.

-Don't you stand there and act like you know what is best for my child. Don't criticize my judgement. I have Charlotte's happiness as my number one concern and I won't let some low lif…

-What are you running away from, exactly? –he interrupted, raising his hand - She is already fine. You have absolutely no reason to go around messing with other people's lives unless you are deeply unhappy with your own. Now, I suggest you get out of my bar, leave my brother and Charlotte to be and face whatever it is you have to face with yourself.

Walking to the door, jack waited, expecting her exit. With red cheeks, Victoria hesitated before heading out without looking at him.

Inside the car, she held her breath, unable to accept the accuracy of his words. She was fleeing from her emotions. She did that her entire life. It was the first time someone made her face it.

The truth she was so desperate to avoid was how much she still loved the man who hurt her most. That's not something easy to admit. A liar, a criminal, a cheater and a murderer. That was who she still loved, because, he was, probably, the only one in the entire world who knew her whole heart and didn't reject it. She had hurt him back so many times, but his feelings for her were always honest and his loved remained. Conrad was the person who knew her best, her biggest fan and protector. The way he demonstrated his affection was her favorite thing about him. How his arms wrapped around her and he allowed her to cry every single tear the time she first told him about her abusive childhood was the most vivid memory she had from the times they were happily married.

All this was just a wave of anxiety in her mind she didn't dare to think about, so she just repressed it. No, she would not allow herself to love a monster. Heading by the seaside, she opened her car windows letting the wind inside her lungs. As her muscles started to relax, she came to the realization that, unfortunately, it was too late to do anything about it.

When she slept with him the night Kara Clarke tried to execute them, she opened a door in her heart she could no longer close. With that, there were two options for her to choose: ignore her feelings for him in an attempt to make them fade away, as they consumed her soul, or accept and embrace them, declaring it all to him and making emends, which, she feared, would only end in heartbreak.

Victoria headed to the Hampton's mall. Walking from store to store, she bought an enormous variety of dresses, accessories, purses and shoes. Mostly, shoes. Three hours later, the salesman, with an embarrassed look said her card had been refused, as she tried to pass one new pair of Jimmy Choo's.

-Then, I have reached my goal.-smiling, she grabbed her bags and left, laughing. "Let's see what he'll think about me exceeding the limit on his credit card…"

She chose a third path: hurting him. Conrad's words still made her ache and a little revenge always made her feel better. This way, neither of the former options had to be dealt with and she'd, probably, end up pushing him away, which was a convenient result for her.

* * *

 **I know there was no Conrad on this one, but don't worry, I have many surprises coming… Lots of Revenge style drama ahead… So, buckle up, ladies!**

 **Thank you so much for all the comments! Keep them coming, please ;) I love learning what you guys think!**


	5. Astromelias

Back home, the security guard helped putting the bags inside.

-You're a real piece of work! – she heard Conrad yell, as she closed the door. Without turning around to face him, she smirked. That was the exact reaction expected and desired.

-Sorry, are you talking to me?-with a cynical stare, she walked passed him, followed by the house keepers carrying the bags. In her room, they were all left over the bed. Satisfied, Victoria started to take out all the beautiful pieces of clothing she bought and admiring it all. Spotting an unknown shape with the corner of her eye, she turned to look at the white dressing table. There was an incredibly varied bouquet of flowers, composed by white, purple, orange and pink Astromelias. The way they were arranged made it look like a piece of art. Whoever created it must've really put their heart into it.

Immediately, she felt a twinge of guilt. "Conrad…" Before she could do anything, he stormed inside the room. His tie was unknot and his hair was falling over his forehead.

-How mature, Victoria! And to think that I actually thought you started caring about me again. – walking from side to side, he yelled. – My mistake! – He stopped in front of her - Don't worry, dear, I won't be chasing you again! If that's what you want! I'm done! – Tense, her body jumped every time he raised his tone. - Just answer me one thing! Couldn't you have made yourself clear without spending an obscene amount of my money?

His blue eyes perforated her skin, incisive and furious. She couldn't open her mouth. Embarrassed, she remained looking down, holding a black Valentino dress on her hands, one of her many new acquisitions. The original plan was to get home and rub it on his face. Although, it hadn't been necessary. The bank called him first. It didn't feel good anymore, though.

Turning around, Conrad grabbed the flowers, and started heading out.

-These were for you. Just, do me a favor and pretend they weren't even here. – On the corridor, he told one of the house staff to throw them away or keep them. He didn't care.

He'd had enough. The strength necessary to maintain a positive attitude while trying to win her over was something he realized he did not possess. The flowers were intended to be a pretext to start a conversation in which he could apologize and ask for forgiveness for everything he'd done, not only in their fight, but also on their marriage. It was his chance to explain he wanted to change, but if she just wanted pay back against him, there was nothing to be done.

Ignoring the water that blurred her eyes, Victoria looked at herself in the mirror, putting the dress in front of her body, to see how it would look. As a tear rolled down her cheek, she tried to smile with trembling lips.

-This is for the best. – she whispered to herself, swallowing the knot that formed in her throat. "It's what I wanted anyway…", but she didn't feel better at all.

* * *

It wasn't until midnight, that Conrad found himself worried. Victoria still hadn't returned home and it usually didn't stay out this late. "Unless, she's with a man." He reprehended himself for his customary exaggerated jealousy and tried to push away that thought. That could explain why she hadn't been giving in to him, though. No… He was just being silly, he thought.

Her phone went straight to voicemail the two times he called. Last, he heard of her, she had gone to a cocktail party in the city to promote some random, new rich socialite's book in the afternoon. She should've been back by now.

A half hour passed and he was ready to call it a day and go to sleep. As he sat down on the bed, his bedroom door opened abruptly, to reveal a very serious Victoria. She didn't say a word.

\- Are you not familiarized with the custom of knocking? And where the hell have you been? – His tone was rude, showing how much he was still hurt for what she had done. The money wasn't the problem, he had plenty of that. It was her ruthless intent to push him away.

Shutting the door behind her and locking it, she leaned on it, staring at him for a long time before speaking.

-I've been thinking… - the words were groggy out of her mouth. She was wearing her favorite wine color Ellie Saab dress, the same she left the house with a few hours earlier. - I don't want to hurt you anymore, Conrad. –when she walked towards him, her legs were clumsy, with little balance.

-Are you drunk? – he asked surprised.

-Shhhh… Don't speak. -She whispered. Conrad could smell the alcohol in her breath. Something must've happened, because it wasn't like her to do something like this.– I love you… - kissing him, Victoria wrapped her arms around his neck, almost falling over him. In her intoxicated state, everything made so much sense in her head, she decided to just set her emotions free.

Conrad was shocked.

-Victoria, what is this? – he held her, afraid she'd fall.

-The truth, that's all… - resting her head on his shoulder, she pulled him closer, feeling the sweet smell of his perfume. – I love you – Her voice cracked. - And I'm tired of running from this. -Tears started falling down her face.

-I…can't believe this… First, you do everything you can to hurt me and, now, you come in here like this, saying that you love me.

-I'm so sorry for what I did today. – She held his face, caressing his cheeks. The black pearls in her eyes revealed her remorse. – I shouldn't have done this… I don't want to hurt you anymore. – She repeated, pressing her mouth against his.

Her lips parted letting his thirsty tongue in. He was euphoric to have her again. Pushing him against the bed, she sat on his lap, holding his hair and allowing his hand to slide under the dress, but, suddenly, he stopped, facing her.

-What's wrong? – She tilted her head to the side, concerned. He couldn't let go of all the rage he'd been feeling for her.

-You're completely drunk, Victoria. You'll just wake up tomorrow regretting this like you always do. – Grabbing her waist, he lifted her up and put her on the bed, by his side. – I can't go through with this knowing you are just saying all this because the alcohol enables you. I want all of you, Victoria. I need you to be sure you really want me too. And I know you are not.

-But I d…

\- Please, allow me to continue. – He lifted up his hand to make her stop talking. – I can't stand being stepped on over and over again.

\- I understand, but I'm… not lying… - the way she prolonged the end of the sentence assured him of how inebriated she was. He had no doubt she'd just push him away the next day as soon as she recalled what happened.

-Just stop… I understand I made mistakes but you still don't have the right to treat me like this. I'm sick of your games. – He focused on a spot on the floor, refusing to look at her, trying to be strong. He didn't know if he could if he saw her crying. - You need to leave, Victoria…

Her hand reached his chin, pulling his face in her direction. Her mouth approached his, eager to feel it's softness.

-No… - Conrad said as every muscle in his body tensed up. Kissing her was what he wanted to do most in this world, but he just couldn't accept being used that way again. – It's over.

His blue iceberg eyes met hers. The pain he saw in her expression, made his heart physically hurt. Victoria couldn't open her mouth to say anything, afraid she would explode in tears.

On her way out, she couldn't open his door, forgetting she'd locked it. Quietly, he walked to her, turning the key and opening it. Humiliated, she controlled herself until she closed her own bedroom door before falling on the ground sobbing. She'd finally crossed her emotional barrier and declared herself to him and was rejected. "I'll never do this again! I'll never admit that i love him again! Ever!"

* * *

 **I know this was said and Victoria acted strange, but i promise it will all make sense on the next chapters! Tell me how you felt about this!**

 **I just want to thank everyone who's been reading my story. This makes me really happy, since i came from a big period in which i had completely given up on writing. I started again, because i realized it made me feel better and it's like therapy to me. So, thank you for embarking on this journey with me :) Your comments and support mean a lot! And I hope you guys are having a lot of fun with this! I know I am...**


	6. Broken expectation and shame

**Just a quick warining: i told you there would be surprises on the way.**

Between her eyelids, light passed through like the fire of a thousand suns. Her temples ached as if someone was constantly pulling her hair. "Shit…" She covered her eyes with both hands, feeling wet marks on her cheeks. Evidences of a night filled with tears. Her heart ached and she sat on the bed crying more. Regret burned her core, but she couldn't force herself to remember what happened, because the massive migraine that ravaged her didn't allow her to think, only feel.

After adjusting to the illumination in the room, Victoria looked at herself. She was wearing her red long dress, now, completely smashed.

After dragging herself to the bathroom, she washed her face, realizing the makeup from the former day was ruined. Dizzy and nauseous, she got inside the shower, that was still cold, but there was no energy left in her to care.

She chose a comfortable purple dress in her closet and went downstairs for breakfast.

-Good morning, Victoria… - Conrad, said, staring down. She noticed his expression, but didn't understand it.

-Morning… - Her head hurt so much, starting a conversation would be something impossible to bare. She took an aspirin with coffee. Soon, things became less foggy in her brain and the pain diminished to a point in which she could form sentences.

-Did you sleep well? – Conrad stared above the newspaper he held. There was something about his features that intrigued her. Victoria didn't understand it's meaning.

-Not really… I… - embarrassed, she stopped talking. It seemed he was waiting for her to talk.

After a few minutes of silence, he stared at her without speaking. Slowly, what Victoria guessed was an expression of disdain turned into a sore one.

-I was right. – His voice sounded serious. She put down the mug she was drinking from.

-What do you mean?

-You don't remember a thing.

* * *

Conrad stormed in his bedroom, smashing down everything on his nightstand. He considered himself stupid for still having hope and thinking last night had been real. Every cell in his body regretted rejecting her and he wished he could go back, but he knew better now.

"She will never love me." Sitting on his bed, Conrad grabbed his phone. There was a number he'd been avoiding all week. This person had approached him a month before his second wedding with Victoria. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her.

At first, he expected to be stabbed to death when Lydia Davis appeared in his home office. She had escaped the plaine he set up to explode with her inside. For his surprise, she didn't want to hurt him. All she wanted a little help to make her way back to the Hampton's high society.

On that afternoon, he asked her why she was talking to him and didn't want pay back. Her answer was simple and clear.

-I miss what we had, Conrad… I don't think it was your fault…You were only protecting yourself from Victoria and I.-It was odd, he had to recognize, but, once again, he found himself captivated by her presence. Victoria and him weren't together and the wedding would be a farce, anyway, so he decided sleeping with her wouldn't be a bad idea after all. After that he kept the affair going on until the day Kara Clarke tried to murder him and his wife.

It was then when he expected to rescue his wrecked relationship with the woman he loved most. From that point on for the rest of the week, seeing Lydia didn't even cross his mind. He had no interest in maintaining any kind of ties to her, but, now, feeling alone and rejected, she was the only escape he could think of. Besides, she still loved him and he cared about her.

-Lydia…

-Conrad. Where have you been? I left you a dozen messages!

-I'm sorry, it's been a busy week. –he stared at the ring on his finger.

-I really miss you.

-I miss you too. I really want to see you.

-Let's meet at my apartment in New York.

-Ok. I'll see you there.

* * *

He left her eating alone. Victoria was completely ashamed and confused. "What was he talking about and why did it seem like I hurt him?"

She only remembered drinking two glasses of wine at the party and then being escorted to her car by a waiter. That wasn't enough to get her drunk to the point of leading her to be this hungover.

The reason to start drinking was her main concern. The day before, after the shopping incident, she left the manor devastated, even though she wouldn't admit it. The only thing she allowed herself to recognize was that she regretted what she did. Victoria hated that she made him upset. Even though, she still thought it had been necessary to push him away, so this wasn't what led her to drinking excessively.

Something else had set her off into a drinking marathon. "Damn it! I can't even recall a third glass! This is so strange…"

Whatever it was, she had a certainty deep down that it was incredibly serious and she needed to figure out what it was. It was urgent.


	7. Discoveries

After breakfast, Victoria was calmly reading the morning paper when she stumbled upon an article on page six:

"Hampton's most famous Matriarch makes a scene on the Palace Salon." Repeating the words aloud, she got up infuriated. The article talked about how the Queen of the Hamptons completely humiliated herself, acting drunk and annoying all the guests at the party.

Immediately, she got in her car and drove to the Palace Hotel. It was time to find out what happened.

Flashes from the previous afternoon passed in front of Victoria's eyes as she walked through the salon where the party had taken place. Faces laughing, dresses flowing in the wind, black and grey suits everywhere. She winked and they vanished. Now, the place seamed strangely unfamiliar with the lack of décor and people. By the bar, she spotted the man who served had served her the first glass of wine. She approached him, asking if he remembered her.

After making some questions, she realized there wasn't much she could get from him.

-Why are you asking about the party, ma'am? Wait… Are you that lady from the newspaper?

Her face blushed as she turned around to exit.

-Hold on! Maybe you should ask the blonde who was with you! You two seemed close, so I guess she can remind you what happened.

-Blonde? What blonde?

-You really don't recall? You weren't even drunk yet when she came to you. Sorry, but I didn't catch her name.

Pissed off, Victoria turned on her heels without thanking the man before she left to go home. Her head still hurt too much for her to go after answers that day.

* * *

A week had passed since the night Victoria came home drunk. They hadn't talked to each other at all. She was too busy trying to figure out what had happened and avoiding asking him, afraid she'd had slept with him again. He'd been in and out of Lydia's apartment in New York, keeping himself too busy to think about his broken heart.

On that morning, his mistress gave him a suggestion he hadn't had the courage to say out loud, but had thought about it for the whole week. Now, confident with his relationship with her, he considered it the right decision to make. Still, it wasn't a painless one to make.

Victoria jumped on her chair as Conrad walked in the living room.

-We need to talk.

Barely giving her the time to respond, he spoke, the words coming out much louder than he had planned. He didn't want to say it that way, but it was too late.

-I want a divorce! –she froze, staring at him with wide eyes.

-W…why? – she spoke without thinking.

-You treated me like trash, didn't give a damn about my love for you and took advantage of me. So, it's pretty simple what I want, Victoria. – he said, the divorce papers fell on the table- _splat._

-You are completely overreacting, Conrad. - she rose from her seat. - Is this because of the night I got drunk? Is it because I don't remember what happened? – her voice was high with surprise. Her heart beat faster, like it was going to burst out of her chest, but she tried smiling, in an attempt to look as if she was finding his attitude funny.

-That was the last drop! –he lifted his finger up, pointing to her face. Rage burned him inside.

-Please, Conrad… -she put her hands up, in a sign of surrender. She started walking in his direction. - Where is this coming from? You and I both know we are better together than apart. We have too many enemies who will come after our family if we separate…

-You see? This is what I'm talking about! I'm the last person you care about! You don't give a crap about our relationship. – she looked down, knowing, deep down, he was wrong, but she couldn't let him know and, mostly, not even herself. She had to maintain him away to protect her heart. The problem was that a divorce was too far and had other implications for the family. –Besides, I met someone.

-What? – She stopped walking, completely astonished. She raised her voice. – Who, Conrad? –a sting of jealousy took over her heart, consuming her and she couldn't control it. – Who… is she? – she yelled, unaware of how much she was revealing to him about how she felt. He turned his face and raised his eyebrows, looking surprised.

-Suddenly, you care?

Victoria couldn't respond, conflicted. Her silence infuriated him to a point where he thought he could break everything in the room. He walked up to her, standing inches from her face.

-Sign these papers now. –he said in a low tone.

She swallowed the knot in her throat and raised her eyes to his.

-No.

-Victoria! – He screamed, grabbing her by the arms. -Sign them now!

She started hitting and pushing him.

-Who is she? – he let her go and turned around to leave. –You don't have the right to do this! – tears filled her eyes and she couldn't hold them.

He stopped, turned around and walked up to her, holding her face in his hands. Both breathing heavily.

-I loved you so much… -she closed her eyes, a tear rolled down her cheek. His forehead touched hers. Their lips almost touching. –But I'm done chasing you if you don't want me.

A civil war raged inside her mind. This could be her last chance to ever have him, but, also, her last opportunity to untie herself from him for good.

-Conrad – she whispered. – What happened that night? What can't I remember?

-You don't want to know. – his voice cracked, as he felt tears fill his eyes too. He needed to let her go and this was breaking him.

-Please, I need to know. – she held his face, caressing his cheeks.

He wiped the tears from her cheeks and stared straight to her brown eyes.

-You came in – he hesitated, but continued. - you said that you loved me and we almost slept together. – Victoria was speechless. Her cheeks blushed and she felt ashamed. The truth was out there. She did loved him, after all.

-Wait… you said almost slept together… That means… - he took a step back.

-I said no. I didn't want you to tell me it was all a mistake again and make me feel like the least loved man on Earth.

-Oh god… - she couldn't face him. Her face burned with shame. A similar feeling of remorse weighed on her heart and she recalled the morning she woke up crying without knowing why. So this was the reason she felt a mysterious sorrow since that day.

Her valuable secret had been exposed on the worst circumstance possible and she'd been rejected. It only took one night, one moment of complete loss of control to lead her right to his arms.

-Conrad, I'm so sorry. –she took a step closer, but he turned to the door.

-Don't be. Now, please, just sign the papers. –with a bang, the wooden door closed behind him.

"Come back, please!" she thought, but couldn't open her mouth to say it. No, Victoria Grayson wouldn't be defeated like this. She ran after him, banging the door on the wall as she opened it furiously.

-Conrad!

Standing at the center of the hall, he looked back at her, with an expression of pain.

-You didn't tell me her name. –Conrad regretted telling her he was with someone else. Answering her question was the worst thing he could do to her. "Good" he thought, it wouldn't feel bad to hurt her back after all she made him go through.

-It's Lydia. – he exited, living Victoria dumbfounded.

 _Blonde. The blonde that was with you. "_ It was her!" covering her mouth with her hand, she realized Lydia was responsible for what happened to her on the day of the party. "She must've put something in my drink!" Her gut screamed it was Lydia's fault.

It couldn't make more sense than this: she returned to the Hamptons, back from the dead, seeking revenge against Victoria, because she came back to the Manor, while making her remain in the shadows without money and status.

Victoria would be damned if she let little Ms. Davis destroy her family again. Now, she just needed evidence.


	8. How did he dare?

_**heeeey! sorry it took me a bit longer to post this one... i had a lot of work stuff to do, but now i hope i can be back to writing every week and posting often too! I hope you guys like this one. Expect heat...that''s all i have to say.**_

Victoria was to infuriated to go after answers as soon as Conrad left. She went for a walk on the beach in hopes of clearing her head. An hour later, she was back home and it hadn't worked. Anger was still the only thing in her mind. She was pissed at Conrad and at herself for trusting him. "I knew I shouldn't! I knew it, I knew it!"

How did he dare? How long had this been going on? Did he cheat? When did this bitch come back? A million questions popped in Victoria's brain. She felt ashamed and betrayed. She reprehended herself for caring about this, because, after all, she wanted to be away from him. Didn't she?

Like a hurricane, the Hampton's most famous matriarch got in her car and drove to the South Fork Inn. Conrad would have to explain himself to her. "What if Lydia's there?" Ignoring the risk, she just figured that the blonde would also have some enlightening to do.

Thirty minutes later, staring at his bedroom's door, she hesitated, afraid of who she'd find behind it. _Knock, knock…_ The silence that followed made her imagine what kind of activities Conrad could be engaged in inside that room. Her blood boiled.

She told herself to calm down and to act rationally, but the rage burning inside made that impossible. Victoria recalled the day she ran towards him in the hospital, after an alleged heart attack, only to find out he'd been at the South Fork all afternoon, when he said he'd been golfing. When she learned that Lydia had been the one he was with, a little piece of her died. Her best friend and her husband. Double back stab.

She knocked again. Louder. Not to long after the door opened.

-What are you doing here? – said the grey haired man. She kept quiet, feeling so angry that she couldn't speak. –Can you get to the point? I'm really not in the mood for one of your drama scenes.

-How… -she tightened her fists as if to hold herself back from flying on his neck. –How could you?

-How could I what? Move on? –he stepped to the side, making way for her to enter the master suite. She stormed in, walking from one side to the other.

-Move on? Move on? Do you really expect me to believe that you weren't with her before?

-Before when? You mean, when we didn't even talk to each other but were still married? –he slammed the door.

-Don't be cynical. –she pointed her finger at him. –You know what I'm talking about!

-Oh… I see… So, you mean the three times we slept together that meant nothing to you? –he approached her, starring boldly. –When you used me to get yourself off and then threw me to the side, the first chance you had, sometimes not even before getting out of bed with me? Honestly, Victoria– he smirked. – you are a real piece of work. It's a joke that you are standing here making accusations, like you are the better person!

-Oh please, Conrad! You were never faithful to me! How could you even want me to believe you'd changed. Now, I see, you didn't! I was right to stay away from you! You were with Lydia the entire time! – she poked his chest, accusatorily. –I bet that's why you rejected me… -her voice cracked - when I told you I loved you… -pushing him, she felt her eyes get cloudy, but held back the tears.

-Stop it! –he held her arms tightly. -You talk like you meant it! You're controlling and all you've ever wanted from me is the status of my name! If you really loved me, you wouldn't go around doing things just to hurt me! Is all of it revenge for David? Or do you just hate me that much that you want to mess with my emotions?

-Oh you are so stupid, Conrad! –she tried getting loose from him, but he held her tighter.– What the hell did you think I was doing there? Lying? Trying to create some silly fantasy just to fuck? Huh? –he lowered his head, ashamed. - I tried everything I could to push you away because I knew you were the same man! Who cheated on me on the entire marriage. And you killed David! You did it because you couldn't stand that you had lost me to someone else! This is who you are! You can't love! You just own! And betray!

She really got him there. He'd been so caught up in the idea that she could never love him back, that when she finally revealed that she did, he didn't believe her and went straight to the arms of his mistress, who he knew, clearly, was in love with him. He knew far too well that there was nothing he could say to prove her she was wrong about Lydia. Conrad couldn't open his mouth.

-And even after all this time, when you started acting a little bit different, you made me want to believe we could do this again… - she rested her hand over his heart. - That you and I could be the couple we once were. But the moment I let down my guard and actually find the strength within me to set aside my lack of trust in you and all of my resentment, you prove to me that I was right the whole time. –she pulled her hand back. -You were already with her. And that's why you didn't want me.

-That's not true… - he tried, holding her arms again. His throat completely dry.

-When did you start seeing her? – Conrad didn't respond. No answer would be good enough. He loosened his grip on her arms and she smacked his chest over and over. –When? Tell me! – She hit him hard and it hurt. Seeing what he'd done to her made him regret everything. All his life he had tried to possess her, because that was the only way he knew how to love. Now, he could see all he accomplished was to bruise the heart of the woman he loved. All Conrad wanted was to prove that he did love her and that he could be good for her. He panicked, unable to find words to tell that to her in a convincing way. There was nothing to do.

With no way out, Conrad, mad and eager, grabbed her hands to stop her attacks and held her arms above her head, pushed her and made her back hit the wall hard. He pressed his lips against hers desperate for her touch, barely giving her any chance to breathe. His mind went back to the night she was drunk and climbed on top of him on his bed. He wished he didn't reject her so much and he finally comprehended her reasons behind every time she regretted being with him. Running off to Lydia made him seem incredibly stupid now.

Victoria slapped him across the cheek, leaving a red mark on it. How did he dare. She panted not knowing what to think. Her brain couldn't process what this meant. Everything happened so fast.

Outrage and randiness were two feelings that didn't seem to coexist, but they were all she could feel. So, did she want him then, she asked herself. Her body answered for her, proving that the second sentiment was sovereign. Instinctively, grabbing his face with her hands, the brunette pulled him closer. Lips colliding hungry and furious.

She felt the bulge on his pants against the inside of her thighs. His hands made their way under her black dress. He fingered her, making her moan loud. Conrad felt her teeth on his neck, for sure, leaving a great mark.

For pay back, he bit her lip hard, pulling it strongly. Carving her red nails on his back, she intended to make him bleed. Meanwhile, he took his finger from inside of her and held her leg up. He'd take her right there.

 _ **Please tell me what you thought about thiiiiis! your comments keep me pumped!**_


	9. The one unloved

Conrad and Victoria slept peacefully in one another's arms on his bed at the South Fork Inn. They breathed calmly as their consciousness descended to a dream-filled place. Both completely unaware of the presence in the room who watched them with assassin intentions.

Lydia stood still, intentionally speechless. She wished she could just kill them right there. When she entered the suit, ready to see Conrad waiting to be with her, she saw the door was already open. Walking in, she found clothes spread all over the entrance room. A black bra over a chair, a black dress smashed close to the bedroom door, long black scarpins over the couch. Her eyes filled with tears when she recognized to whom those garments belonged to. Holding Conrad's tie, that she'd found on that same couch, she made her way to the bedroom.

The blonde covered her mouth to hold herself back from screaming in absolute anger. The sight of the Grayson couple made her want to cry to the point of sobbing, but she wouldn't. Something in the back of her mind was telling her to keep quiet. This wasn't the time or the place.

Lydia Davis had always been in love with Conrad, but even when she knew he loved her back, she was well aware he still had stronger feelings for his wife. When she planned her revenge against Victoria, before returning to the Hamptons, she imagined, finally, stealing him away. She thought that, maybe, if she stole the Hamptons' Queen's place, he would love her more than the brunette.

When they reignited their affair, she thought she'd, actually, succeeded. Especially, when they started talking about the possibility of a divorce. She covered her eyes with her hands, realizing how much she had been wrong. Lydia would never have Conrad's heart. Her chest ached with jealousy and envy for the woman sharing his bed. She would never take her spot either.

"But this isn't over! I will not let this be the end of my revenge…"

That was when she understood why she'd been quiet all along. It would serve perfectly for her plan if neither of them knew that she had full knowledge of what happened. In her fury, she considered a plan to murder them both, but concluded that they deserved to suffer for what they did to her. They had made her leave everything behind, deprived of all her properties and isolated from society. So now, she would take away what was most precious to them. Lydia would have her vendetta against the Grayson's.


	10. Finally

_**First of all, I am SO sorry for not updating this story for so long! I had no idea it had been that long! I promise that I will try to post more often. This story is really important to me and I hope you are all still enjoying it.**_

* * *

Conrad opened his eyes and almost couldn't believe it when he saw Victoria was still by his side. She slept heavily and it didn't seem she'd wake up any time soon. It was probably 8 or 9 pm. They'd been asleep all afternoon. He smiled, remembering everything that happened.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the realization that Lydia had been missing the whole day. Where would she be? If she'd come to the bedroom they'd have known. "What a scandal that woud've been!"He sat down and reached out for his phone, his naked chest exposed. There was a message from her saying she'd spend the night in her apartment in the city to solve some things. "That was vague", he thought, but didn't care. As long as he could stay with Victoria with no interruptions, he didn't give a damn about anything else. He'd break things off with the blonde as soon he had the chance.

Finally, he thought, there was no more resistance between him and Victoria. The events of that afternoon made it clear they loved each other and wanted to be together in spite of everything that had occurred in the past. Conrad was determined to be a better man for her.

\- Morning. - A groggy familiar voice brought an end to his reflections. It sounded more serious than he was expecting.

\- Morning! - he smiled, turning to face her. Victoria sat beside him, silently watching him, looking for the right words to say. She didn't know how to start. There were too many emotions at once. The room was dark, but none of them wanted light.

\- I don't understand us, Conrad. –she sighed. –For the past weeks, you were chasing me and all i did was run away. All we did was fight. Then, you asked me for a divorce and said you're with Lydia and I couldn't even bear the thought… -she paused, eyes widened, with her hand on her head,as if she almost didn't believe her own words. - Somehow, we end up in bed, as if nothing else is more right in the world than this. I just… don't get it.

\- I do. –the grey haired man smiled. -It's pretty simple to me.

\- How? –she laughed at his surprising confidence, resting her head on his shoulder without noticing.

\- We cut the bullshit today. –he smirked and she looked at him puzzled. -We made love, because something inside of us realized that being together is what we truly want. When you kissed me back, we stopped caring about any other reason that would keep us apart. And that…-he kissed her gently. –my dear, means that we are in love again. Even if, sometimes we wish we didn't.

Victoria remained silent, examining her thoughts, hoping to find anything that would contradict what he said, but came to the conclusion that he was right. In her soul, she was no longer feeling the need to try to find more barriers to put between them. The truth was out and things were how they should be.

For the first time, she looked at him, unworried, realizing she was actually happy to be there with him. There was no regret in her her soul for what had just happened. There was only tenderness. The brunnette, lastly, noticed that for the past minutes she had rested her head on his shoulder. Her cheeks turned red and her face was decorated with a smile. The most honest she'd given in a long time.

Conrad laughed, glad she couldn't find anything to prove him wrong. Victoria's heart was flooded with calmness and peace and, in that moment, she felt an unstoppable desire for him.

Turning to face him, she put her mouth over his and held him tight. Conrad felt complete bliss. He put his arms around her and laid back. This time, the sex wasn't turbulent, rough or angry, but sweet. Every kiss was like the rain after years of drought to them. "Finally" they both thought. It was all right.

* * *

 _ **And they lived happily ever after… right? Hmmm… I don't think so…**_

 _ **Please comment, letting me know what you think is going to happen next and tell me if you liked this chapter!**_


	11. Capsizing

" **I want your love**

 **And all your lovers' revenge**

 **You and me could write a bad romance"**

Daniel Grayson couldn't remember the last time he had gotten drunk. To him that fact felt like a victory. After years of excessively drinking that resulted in a  
disastrous car accident involving his ex-girlfriend, Sara, Daniel didn't want anything to do with that lifestyle anymore.

On this evening, he was ready to enjoy a party by Emily's side, without passing a second glass of champagne. He always felt strong enough to face his demons when he was with her.

After a few hours of dancing, meeting people and taking pictures, they were ready to call it a night. On the way to the car, however, Daniel felt slightly tipsy, as if the alcohol had taken it's effect on him. He refused to believe his resistance could be so low, but also was too proud to say anything to Emily. Considering himself good enough, he made his way onto the driver's seat.

He started the car and they made their way on the route back to the beach house, a destination they did not reach.

As the minutes passed by and the club stayed further and further behind, Daniel felt worse. His vision blurred, his arms got heavy and his tongue was numb. He started to get unconscious and by that moment, he had to way to communicate with Emily.

As he saw strong headlights coming in front of him, he heard a loud scream. He blacked out before Emily took the wheel and redirected the car far away from the enormous truck that was coming on their direction, making it slide out of the road and overturn several times before stopping upside down.

Conrad's smooth sleep was interrupted by an excessively loud ringtone in the middle of dawn. As he heard about what happened to his son, he woke Victoria and got up, exalted. They made their way to the hospital as fast as day could.

Rushing in the ICU, Victoria ran towards Daniel's bed. They heard Emily was in the other room and had only sustained light injuries, but his state was critical. He had cuts over his entire body and had been submitted to an urgent surgery on his heart because of a piece of broken glass that had hit just above it. It nearly killed him.

After 5 hours, Daniel still hadn't woken up. When the doctors announced that Emily was awake, they rushed in, anxious to ask her what had happened.

After hearing about Daniel's loss of control driving after a party, Conrad and Victoria looked at each other with the same suspicion in mind: he'd drank too much.

-How could you allow him to do this, Emily? – Victoria asked, infuriated. –How could you let him drive on that state? – her hatred for the blond rose by every second that passed.

-He was fine when we left! He was completely normal! And he didn't drink any more than 2 glasses of champagne! – she seemed pissed of at the fact they didn't believe her. In their place, she probably wouldn't either, considering Daniel's past, she thought.

Victoria could no longer stand listening to her. She stormed out of the room and stopped, breathless, on the corridor. "He was doing so well… Why would he do something like this? I didn't notice anything wrong with him that could lead to him drinking! He seemed so happy!" she thought, trying to justify Daniel's actions.

-What do you think about this, Victoria? – Conrad followed her out.

-I just can't believe it! I can't believe Daniel would do something like this!

-Well, but you can't forget he has a drinking problem. He doesn't necessarily need to have a reason behind it to want to drink.

-You're right… But… still… -he held her tight. She buried her face on his chest, silently crying for her son. A loud bip on Conrad's phone broke them apart. Without intending to see, Victoria accidentally noticed it was a message from Lydia.

\- It's her. –he said, impatient. With everything that had happened to Daniel, he didn't even want to deal with her.

-What did she say?

-She's asking about Daniel and if I'm ok. She saw what happened on the news.

Quickly, he tipped a short message, resuming all that needed to be said: "I'm fine. Daniel isn't awake yet. We need to talk later."

"I'm coming to the hospital", she responded. Conrad replied that she shouldn't, but there was no reply, so he assumed she was on her way. He could not allow her and Victoria to be in the same room.

-What did you tell her? – the brunette asked, curious. She was anxious, wondering when their break up would be official.

-Just that he's not awake yet and that she and I need to talk later. – he thought it was best not to tell her that Lydia was coming. The last thing they needed was more drama. Besides, there were journalists all over the hospital trying to reach them and these sharks would eat this scandal up.

A half hour passed by and Victoria was growing more nervous, as there was no indication that Daniel would wake up. The doctors given him anesthetics for the surgery, but he should have been awake by now.

She was sitting in the waiting room and Conrad said he was going downstairs to grab a cup of coffee, but it'd been too long. He still hadn't returned.

In the parking lot, Conrad was waiting for Lydia to get out of her car. He was hoping to intercept her before she could get inside and end up crossing Victoria.

-Why are you down here, Conrad? –Lydia approached him. She wanted to try to kiss him, pretending she didn't already know what was coming, but judging by his posture there was no receptiveness.

-We need to talk and I didn't want my family to be around.

-You mean Victoria… - Conrad looked at her. – Why? If you're getting a divorce there is no problem being seen with me anymore. People can finally know about us. – She smiled, touching his arms. He took a step back.

-That's what I wanted to talk to you about… - he took a deep breath. – We are not getting a divorce, Lydia. We are going to try to work on our marriage. – he chose his words carefully, wishing to soften the blow as much as he could. The problem was Lydia had already learned the truth the worst way possible. But that, he could never know.

She looked down, with tears in her eyes and her hair covering her face.

-I… I don't understand, Conrad. Until 2 days ago we were together and everything was fine. You were finally going to divorce her. – she cried. – I thought you loved me…

Uncomfortable, he didn't know what to say. It was true. He did love her, but he loved Victoria so much more. She was the woman of his life, not Lydia. But there was no good way to say that to her.

-I did, but… I'm so sorry, Lydia… I have to go. My son needs me. – he turned around and walked fast back to the cafeteria.

As he was further from her, Lydia wiped the tears from her face and made her way back in the car. As much as she wanted revenge against him more than ever, her heart ached deeply. He was the man of her life.

-Where were you? What took you so long? – Victoria got up and ran towards him.

-I'm sorry, there was a big line and… -he stopped, noticing her expression. She was doing everything she could not to cry anymore, but her face showed every emotion she wanted to hide. - What's wrong?

-The doctor said Daniel had brain damage… He's in a comma…

He was speechless. The explanation of the accident kept going over and over in his head as he tried to understand what could have gone different. The same thing was happening inside Victoria's head. The only difference was she might have a different theory for what the truth was. It was something so dark, she even doubted herself, but it was possible.

Her memory led her back to the night she got home drunk and threw herself at Conrad. She remembered not drinking much, but feeling completely drunk. What if, in fact, Lydia had done something to her drink? Than, maybe, she could have done the same thing to Daniel…

But why? Why would she do that? Why would she come after him? She had never acted out of no other interest rather than money and status. There was no reason for her to do something so mean to someone innocent. There was nothing that would motivate her to do something like this. Except for her love for Conrad, but she didn't know he and Victoria was back together yet. It couldn't have been her. Still, she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that the similarity of the situation she'd been though was there.

Even though, the possibility of Daniel drinking excessively sounded far more plausible than anything else. Either way, Victoria needed to find out what really happen. Because if Lydia was responsible for this… There would be consequences.


End file.
